


floating in the light

by lynn_jpg



Series: the inferno inside of me [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dreams, Dreams vs. Reality, Hallucinations, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, lowkey a sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:01:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24638002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lynn_jpg/pseuds/lynn_jpg
Summary: zuko's floating. he can't reach the light.
Series: the inferno inside of me [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1781425
Comments: 10
Kudos: 171





	floating in the light

**Author's Note:**

> part two of this little series! you guys seemed to enjoy the first part, so I added another. please read 'tears of the inferno' first otherwise this will not make sense. also, not proofread cause it's like midnight. 
> 
> thank you for the support of the last piece! I really appreciate it. anywho, happy reading!

He's floating. 

He hasn't a clue what's happening, but he feels cold. The fire inside him has dulled significantly, but there's still an ache for the inferno that was ran through his veins. It's a noticeable difference, and sometimes he feels phantom flames dance at his fingertips. He feels empty. He feels broken. 

Despite all of this, he feels so calm. It's nice here - wherever  _ here _ is. And he's floating. Maybe he's flying. Perhaps he's drifting. He lets himself go and fall into the safe hands of the emptiness around him. The silence is lulling, like a mother's lullaby. He embraces it. 

Maybe he's smiling. He certainly feels safe enough to. He hasn't a reason to worry, he hasn't a care in the world. He thinks he laughs at one point. He's happy. 

Zuko's floating. 

* * *

Sound fills his ears. 

It's a dull roar. Zuko can't really tell what it is. Maybe someone's talking? Not just one person. There's many. However, their voices are muffled. He can't depict a word of what they're saying, but the noise seems familiar. 

He hums in the back of his throat. There's still darkness around him. He still can't move. He's still floating. 

The noise is a welcoming sound around him. When he was younger, he remembered falling asleep to noise; sometimes it'd be at a party for nobels, sometimes it'd be in the midst of one of his Uncle's great tales of battle, and sometimes it'd be to his mother's bedtime stories. The noise is familiar, and it's warm. 

Even in the darkness surrounding him, he can still see a little bit of light. It pulses with the noises in the background, the steady staccato of a heartbeat. It's warm, and it's golden, and it leaves a tingly feeling in his chest. 

He smiles. He thinks he's crying. The noise is growing louder and louder, beckoning him to join them. The golden light's driving out the darkness. The words being spoken are still mumbled, but they're loud, rushing past his ears like water in a river. He reaches a hand out if only to touch that golden light. 

_ And Agni, let him have this. Let him be happy. Let those tears transform into golden drops of honey, and let him smile as the sweetness hits his tongue _ -

A small flame flickers inside him. 

The lights go out. 

* * *

The light is bright when he opens his eyes - far too bright. He squints, eyelashes fluttering. His vision's still blurred, and his face feels wet -  _ oh Agni, is he crying?  _ He becomes suddenly aware of the faint smile on his face. He wants to laugh, but the sound's stuck inside his throat, and he can't release it. 

He still can't open his eyes all the way. They're stuck squinting, vision blurred with tears. He's happy, but why? The joy's in his chest, pounding against his ribcage, but there's no reason for him to be this ecstatic. Then again, there's no reason for him to feel sad, is there? At least, he can't think of one… 

_ fire fire everything's burning it hurts he's screaming someone's screaming there's ash it hurts it hurts IT HURTS- _

He exhales. The thought's gone as quick as it came. He's still smiling. 

Someone places a hand on his cheek, thumb gently wiping the tears away. Another hand goes to move aside his bangs. There's a kiss to his forehead. The warmth returns. 

The tears come faster and harder like a light drizzle turned into a storm. He thinks he's laughing - or at least he's trying to. He doesn't think the sound ever actually escapes his throat. Speaking of his throat, it's starting to burn. The pain grows worse and worse by the second. 

Zuko's chest bounces up and down with laughter that won't escape his lips. Agni, he must look like a wreck: tears streaming down his face, crooked smile on his lips, chest seemingly spazzing for no reason. He still can't see,  _ he still can't see _ -

The hands leave his face and move to his shoulders, pinning him down to the bed. He starts to thrash, body spasming underneath the weight of the force trying to keep him down. 

"It's alright, my nephew. Breathe,  _ breathe- _ "

But he can't breathe. He can't see, he can't speak, he can't  _ move _ -... Agni, what's happening? Everything burns, everything  _ burns _ -

Someone forces his mouth open, and a liquid is forced down his throat. He chokes on it because he still can't breathe. Someone closes his mouth and he's forced to swallow. 

The little light he was able to see grows dim. The darkness is taking him back, and  _ Agni, he doesn't want to go. He wants his mom, he wants his uncle- _ The fire inside him seems to spring to life. 

He's floating again..

Only this time, it's in ashes. 

* * *

Something's not right. 

Zuko's on the beach.  ~~_ He hates the beach  _ ~~ He loves the beach. He loves the feeling of his toes in the sand, the warm sun of his skin, and the laughter of children filling his ears. 

Laughing? Someone's laughing. Oh. He's the one laughing.  _~~He shouldn't be laughing something's not right~~ _ Obnoxious laughter tumbles past his lips, and then he's running. 

~~_ Running from who? Running from what? _ ~~ His feet pound against the sandy shores of Ember Island, and then he's throwing himself at someone. "Uncle!"

But he feels too small. 

Uncle looks too young. 

The general easily catches him. He picks the boy up, tossing him into the air only to catch him again. Zuko's laughing because of course he's laughing. He's happy, isn't he? "My, Prince Zuko! Look at how much you've grown!"

"I'm seven now-"  ~~_ that's not right _ ~~ "-and that means I'm almost old enough to come fight with you! Those people won't stand a chance against us!"

And then suddenly someone's stealing him out of Uncle's arms. The sunlight fades a little, the sun hidden by clouds. Zuko opens his eyes and laughs at his cousin tosses him into the air. 

Lu Ten's full of laughter. A proud smile stretches across his lips. His dark brown hair is pulled into a top knot letting Zuko see the mischievous grin on his face. Lu Ten places Zuko on his shoulders, and the two of them giggle. 

But something's not right, something's not  _ right- _

The sky turns dark, big gray clouds filling the sky. Zuko stops smiling. He looks up at the sky with a frown. Where did they all come from? It was perfectly sunny a minute ago. 

Something wet hits his face. He flinches. It's starting to rain. The laughter is long gone.  _ Something isn't right- _

He looks around the beach, still perched on his cousin's shoulders. He frowns. His mom is gone. She was just here! Maybe she went inside the house? Azula's screaming. She was so happy a minute ago? Her words are muffled like he's underwater. Why is she screaming? What is she saying?

Zuko looks down at the ground. The sand's gone. It's been replaced by ash and bone. Where's father?! He wants see him, he's not around, he's not here, he's  _ gone _ -

They're sinking. Zuko's still perched on Lu Ten's shoulders, but the ash is rising, and it's going to pull them under. Zuko thinks he's screaming. Lu Ten's still smiling.  _ Why is he smiling? _

His hands heat up, a familiar burning sensation in the back of his throat. They're sinking, they're sinking,  _ they're sinking _ -

He's caught in the ash now. He can't see anyone else.  _ Where's Lu Ten, where's Azula, where's Uncle?  _ It's so dark. It's so cold. Everything's burns. 

In the ash, he sees a light. 

He starts clawing. 

* * *

Zuko's eyes snap open. 

The light is blinding, and  _ Agni, does it hurt _ . But he can see….  _ He can see _ . 

Everything's uncomfortable right now. His bedsheets are scratching at his skin, his body burns and aches, he's a sweaty shaky mess. But he can see. 

He can see. 

Zuko feels uncomfortably stiff. He's as straight as a board in bed, unable to move. He blinks a few times, trying to collect his bearings. Something still isn't right. 

This body feels too big for him. He's not this tall, is he? His soul feels so small in comparison to his body. It's unsettling. 

Someone moves and comes into view. It's Uncle, but he looks so old. That's not right. He just saw him! He can't be this old, can he?

His head hurts. He's so very confused. The words pass his lips before he even realizing what he's saying. "Where's Lu Ten?"

Before the darkness consumes him, he can feel teardrops hitting his face. It's raining again. 

He's so very cold. 

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: abby-lynn-xx  
> instagram: ak.lynn.jpg
> 
> haha you know it's not one of my fics unless I throw in some angst. anywho, in case you're confused, this takes place after 'tears of the inferno' and zuko has yet to wake up (and stay lucid and awake). thoughts on this fic? part three?
> 
> also, looking for zuko-centric fic recommendations! zukka fics are fine too! feel free to suggest some. also, don't be afraid to talk a:tla with me on tumblr. again, thanks for reading!


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